Amarnath Yatra remains suspended for 4th day from Jammu

More than 7,000 pilgrims are stranded in Jammu, particularly at the Bhagwatinagar base camp, while over 5,000 are stuck at the Chanderkot base camp in Ramban district.

The Amarnath Yatra remains suspended for the fourth consecutive day due to a closure of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway and no Jatha was allowed to move from Jammu towards the Holy cave on Tuesday. Authorities said incessant rains have caused unprecedented damage to the highway, especially the stretch falling in Ramban district, forcing its closure for traffic on Monday. Despite the suspension of the yatra, the pilgrims remain undeterred and optimistic about visiting the Amarnath cave shrine, even if it means waiting for days.

According to the Hindusthan Samachar, ‘The yatra has not yet resumed from Jammu. It is still suspended due to a closure of the highway. No fresh batch was allowed to move towards Kashmir from the Jammu base camp on Tuesday,’ informed a senior police officer.

Earlier, a 59-year-old Amarnath Yatra pilgrim from Madhya Pradesh died of suspected heart attack in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. Satish Suryavansham, a resident of Gwalior, complained of chest pain at Yatri Niwas Chanderkote and was attended by the doctors present there, the officials said.

After the first aid, the pilgrim was referred to district hospital Ramban for specialized treatment, but was declared brought dead, they said, adding he is believed to have suffered a massive heart attack resulting in his death. Suryavansham was the third Amarnath pilgrim who died in Jammu region since the commencement of the yatra in south Kashmir Himalayas on July 1.

In the meantime, authorities said the Amarnath Yatra will remain suspended as no batch of pilgrims will leave Jammu for Kashmir on Tuesday in the wake of closure of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. More than 7,000 pilgrims are stranded in Jammu, particularly at the Bhagwatinagar base camp, while over 5,000 are stuck at the Chanderkot base camp in Ramban district.

Traffic authorities also issued an advisory in which they said collective efforts from the administration and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), put in throughout the day, resulted in substantial improvement in the road condition. However, complete restoration is expected to take some more time.

Accordingly, it has been decided by the administration to keep the traffic on national highway suspended for Tuesday, it added. Heavy motor vehicles are advised to take the Mughal Road for journey from Jammu to Srinagar and vice versa. Traffic is likely to resume on Wednesday, however, the next update will be issued on Tuesday evening, it said.